E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.1 Page 92 Tashkent. When the police discovered that he was a Christian, they started beating him. Then he was transferred to the main city police station where he was put in a cell with Muslims. His cellmates also beat him after they found out that he was a Christian. Police tortured him every night for twelve days, inserting needles under his finger nails and threatening him that he would be put on a chair wired up to the electricity. As a result of the torture, his ribs were broken, he lost weight, he had difficulty walking and his fingers and legs were covered with blood. He was held at the main city police station until 29 June 2005. He was then transferred back to Mirobad Police Station, where he was allowed access to a lawyer and where he remained in detention. He w as believed to be the main suspect of the murder of Kim Khen Pen Khin. A case was opened under Article 97, part 1, of the Criminal Code. 437. According to the information received, Mr. Bekjanov was not the only Full Gospel church member interrogated in connection with the murder of Kim Khen Pen Khin. It was indeed alleged that the police used the murder as a pretext to question church members about their religious beliefs. Response from the Government dated 28 November 2005 438. The government informed that the information in the communication was entirely far fetched. Kural Bekjanov was placed in the rehabilitation centre in Tashkent City Department of Internal Affairs as he had no papers. After his identity was established he was released on 14 July 2005. Kural Bekjanov himself explained that he did not suffer any illegal actions during the period he spent in the rehabilitation centre. He also explained that nobody prevented him from performing his religious duties. Communication sent on 1 September 2005 439. On 1 June 2005, the prosecutor of the Transport Procuracy of Kungrad 200 kilometers north of Nukus Karakalpakstan, issued warnings to five local Protestants, namely Lepesbay Amarov, Grigori Kogay, Asilbek Kunekeev, Raushan Matjanova and Gulbahor Orimbetova for trying to bring Christian literature into the country through Nukus airport. 440. On 16 June 2005, an apartment belonging to a Hare Krishna devotee, Asa Bekabayeva, in Bostan on the outskirts of Nukus, was searched by the police. Ninety Hare Krishna books were confiscated. 441. On 17 June 2005, the police conducted a search of the house of Viktor Klimov, a Protestant pastor in Gulistan south of Tashkent. They confiscated all his religious literature. Response from the Government dated 29 November 2005 442. The Government informed that a large quantity of religious literature had been found during a customs inspection at Nukus city airport. The five persons mentioned in the communication were subsequently convicted of Article 227 (violation of customs legislation) and Article 240(1) (violation of legislation on religious organizations) of the Code of Administrative Offences and each fined a sum

Select target paragraph3